ALICE
by Queensace
Summary: Alice never told her true feelings to anyone, especially after a terrible incident. When a sly white rabbit mysteriously transports her into Wonderland, Alice's world is flipped upside down. From a wise caterpillar, to a goofy Cheshire cat, this place is anything BUT ordinary. Yet, something evil is brewing in Wonderland...and Alice may be the only one to stop it. (On hiatus!)
1. Alice

ALICE  
Chapter 1: Alice

Sheets of ice covered the pavement, the sky was a dark, heavy gray, and intricate snowflakes drifted silently onto the earth. Winter had finally arrived in Baskerville, Boston. With cautious, slow steps, Alice Lockwood, age fourteen, sneaked behind the old bakery shop to greet her daily arrival.

Sure enough, the familiar tabby cat circled around the back door, while the obsidian-haired teen leaned in to watch. Quietly, she tossed a warm, crunchy bagel near the orange-tinged feline, causing the furry mammal to look up. Swiftly, the cat dashed to snatch the oven-baked treat, and disappeared just as quickly. Alice sighed.

Even though she truly dreamed to, Lockwood could never smile or act friendly in front of people. It was a horrid habit that prevented her from even socializing normally with others, let alone gaining a few friends. In fact, Alice even spoke to others in a rude, scoffing manner, which made her seem like a haughty young woman. Little did the passersby know how desperately the tiny, ebony-haired girl wished for a friend.

The only thing that Lockwood kept close to her heart was a satin blue ribbon, which was given to her by her precious mother as a child. Her mom always wore that very same ribbon in her hair, for it was a treasure in her eyes. She was always cheerful and jubilantly optimistic, and everyone wanted to chat with Ms. Lockwood. Yet sadly, Alice's mother had passed away after a brutal car accident, before the bright child had even turned seven. As she was laying on her death bed, Miss Lockwood smiled weakly and handed the valuable ribbon to her sole child, saying, "Someday, you will find your own Wonderland, Alice."

After that incident, Alice was never friendly with others, and could not even smile with pure joy. Her mother was everything. Her mother was hers.

With an aching heart, the slate-eyed woman got up from her crouching position, and strolled through Boston's frosty streets, her long, sleek locks of black hair waving in the chilly breeze. Since it was still winter break, Alice decided to stop by the library for a quick read.

Another long sigh escaped Lockwood's lips as she pulled her cream-colored coat around her body and stepped inside Willowbend Library. After entering, the petite girl loosened the bright, ruby scarf around her neck and flipped through a random novel. "Alice in Wonderland".

It's title was large and bold, each letter as dandelion as gold. 'How cliché,' the almond faced woman chuckled to herself, reminiscing about her childhood.

She recalled how, as a toddler, she used to climb onto her mother's lap, and the two read that very same storybook every night. Oh, how the dark-eyed girl dreamed to attain such soft, gorgeous, golden hair, and such sparkling blue eyes! But, reality stopped all thoughts of ever having such beauty. A low voice caused Alice to jump in surprise.

"Is everything alright, miss?" the aged librarian pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, then smiled pleasantly. Before she could think, Alice spouted bitter words that could never be taken back. "Ha! Even if I was, you wouldn't be able to help—so, mind your own business!" Shocked, the librarian watched the cold woman toss the book into her hands and leave the library.

'What have I done?' Alice slapped herself as she exited Willowbend Library, and frowned. Was she ever going to make any friends? Lockwood was already in high school, yet rarely spoke to anyone without getting on their nerves.

After calming down, Alice flipped her phone open, and stared at the time. 10:36 am. Well, it wasn't as if the silky-haired girl had anything to do—she was all alone, once again. No one understood Alice Lockwood. No one ever dared.

::::::

With the navy cloth clutched tightly in hand, Alice lifted her scarf up to her nose and headed home, dodging joggers who carelessly roamed the sidewalks. 'Another boring day.' she thought, staring out into the cloudy sky, her mind elsewhere. Every step seemed endless, and the bitter cold finally caught up to Lockwood. Shivering, Alice tightened her grasp around the soft bow and shut her eyes...BAM!

In a matter of seconds, Alice fell to the frosted ground, crystal snowflakes falling off of her smooth hair. "O-oww..." Groaning, Lockwood glanced up to find that she'd tripped over a beautiful, snowy white rabbit, it's fur as light as marshmallows. It was the most dazzling bunny Alice had ever seen! Suddenly, the short girl realized that her royal blue ribbon was no longer in her hands. Swiftly, Alice dusted herself off and scanned the area with rising anxiety. 'Where did I drop my bow?!' she wondered nervously.

Oh no.

Not only did Alice trip over a rabbit, she'd lost her ribbon! As the jet-eyed girl noticed, it was now in the possession of the milky white mammal, who held it firmly in its mouth. No!

Alice would have screamed, but thought quickly and began to run. With burning determination, Alice raced through the streets, hunting down the speedy bunny who had stolen her treasure. Her only reminder of the sparkling, lovely woman who had nurtured Alice since she was a baby was now in the hands—paws—of an animal.

There was no way the onyx-eyed girl was going to let such a priceless item vanish into thin air. Lockwood brushed off the odd fact that a rabbit had actually wanted to snatch the delicate ribbon, and followed the creature into an intimidatingly giant forest.

Immense oak trees towered above both the human and animal as they leaped past rocks, thorns, and rough bushes. Alice heard her long, brown boots crush piles of dead leaves as she chased the sly bunny, and escaped into the unknown. The raven-haired woman had no idea where she was headed, but knew that she HAD to get her gift before it fell into a horrid state. Not only that, a strange feeling of curiosity creeped into Lockwood's heart, which only urged the cold young woman to sprint further.

Further, further, further...the endless horde of greenery began to entwine with one another, casting an eerie shadow across the land. Soon, everything in the forest became still, and the darkness enveloped the land entirely.

The rabbit froze.


	2. Welcome to Wonderland

ALICE  
Chapter 2: Welcome to Wonderland

Panting, Alice struggled to keep up, but stopped short when the mammal before her stood still. What in the world was going on? Without another thought, Alice pounced upon the irritatingly clever creature, her eyes twinkling with success. This success stopped short, for suddenly, a blinding light spread out, emitting from the rabbit, causing Lockwood to jump back in shock.

Without warning, the furry animal began to grow larger, its tiny paws becoming long, bony arms, pure white hair spouting from its head, long legs and a full nose replacing its normal, bunny-like qualities. Soon enough, the animal transformed into a fully-fledged human.

Fear etched into Alice's eyes as she gasped at the being before her. "He" was no longer a cute little animal that roamed the endless grasses—he was now a tall, lean man, dressed in a black suit and a golden watch in his pocket. The slate-haired woman noticed that this fellow shared some of the same characteristics as his original form—soft, pearly white hair, piercing black eyes, and those outstandingly large rabbit ears.

Gulping, Alice stared into the man's eyes, unsure of what had happened or what to do, but determined nevertheless. A soft chuckle escaped the rabbit-man's lips, his eyes still as stone-cold as ever. "Alice Lockwood, a pleasure to meet you." he spoke casually, pretending to take off an imaginary hat.

Startled, the raven-eyed girl spoke with confusion, "How do you know my name? Moreover, what are you?! And...MY RIBBON!" she began, unable to comprehend the situation. Another laugh filled the forest, and the snowy-haired man stepped closer to the befuddled girl.

"The name is Caliber, the famous White Rabbit that all children read about. Now, now, Alice, no time for questions—we're terribly late! I'd be wise if I were you—the Queen doesn't enjoy late arrivals.~" Before any other conversation could continue, Alice was pulled by Caliber's harsh grasp, into the depths of a vast, jet black hole.

Where she was going, Lockwood had no idea. All that the dark-haired girl could decipher was that she was falling. Falling into an abyss of darkness, with all sorts of crazy objects surrounding her. Bizarre music played all around the emptiness, while books, knives, clocks, cards, and even hourglasses whizzed dangerously close to Alice's body.  
Trumpets and piano riffs could be heard in the background, Alice's screams adding to the noise.

Everything was nuts—extremely incomprehensible, and in a matter of seconds, Lockwood could no longer feel Caliber's tight grip, and landed roughly onto the floor, her mind in total chaos. This wasn't possible—it was as if all the events from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland were becoming alive.

"Someday, you will find your own Wonderland, Alice..." her mother's words echoed into Alice's ears, causing her to jump. No...NO! The bitter woman couldn't—wouldn't—believe what was happening. It was just too fake to be real.

"Miss Lockwood, do you intend to rest all day? You have a party to attend!" A familiar voice allowed the ebony-haired girl to stir, realizing that she was no longer in the safety of her home.

"Wha—You!" Alice yelled, anger rushing through her veins, "Where is my ribbon?! You thought you could just steal it and lead me into some imaginary world of yours, huh, cos-player?" At the last word, Caliber burst into unstoppable laughter, his howling making Lockwood want to take back her sentences.

"What?" With a sour look, Alice tried her best to appear as fierce as possible, but the White Rabbit regained his composure and gave her a cool stare. "Alright, alright, here—" he tossed the precious, satin bow into Alice's hands, while the obsidian-headed girl hugged it in relief. "Before I go into more detail, I'll at least tell you this: you are no longer in the human world." after a brief pause, Caliber received an astonished look from Alice, then continued, "Welcome to Wonderland."


	3. Trying to Believe

ALICE  
Chapter 3: Trying to Believe

Wonderland. Struggling to comprehend what she'd just heard, Alice swallowed hesitantly, and spoke up. "Well then, at least take us out of this suffocating room, rabbit." she spat, her mind still full of doubt. Another loud chortle echoed through the dim, ancient-looking room that the two had fallen in.

"First off, don't call me you, rabbit, or cos-player." the milky haired man slowly got up, and reached out a hand towards Alice, "The name is Caliber. Follow me!~" After helping the young maiden from the ground, Caliber lead her through a maze of doors, giant and tiny, until an extremely miniature entrance came into his vision. "Ah, here we are."

Puzzled, Alice glanced down at the small door and back up at Caliber. "You're joking." she commented, her hands now on her hips. There was no way the woman's head was even going to fit through the petite hole. It wasn't possible.

But before any more thoughts could fill her heart, the rabbit-eared man pulled out a thin vial, with a watery, violet liquid inside. Tied to the head of the bottle was a note with the words, "Drink Me" clearly written. Frowning, Alice watched Caliber try to hand the substance into her hands, but she refused.

"What—do you really believe that I am dumb enough to swallow such a...suspicious looking thing?" Alice scoffed and looked away, about done with the nonsense.

"Alright then, you leave me no choice." With his arm tightly locking Alice's neck, Caliber pulled the short girl right below him, his chin grazing her cheekbones. Breathing swiftly, Alice shut her eyes and tried to turn her head away as the clever White Rabbit pushed the bottle to her lips, its purple fluid running down her throat.

One thing that Lockwood noticed was that the liquid had no taste. Another thing—her body was beginning to...shrink?! Alice watched her clothes, hands, and legs shorten, while Caliber loosened his grasp around her neck.

Yelping, the jet-eyed woman looked up at the world, which was vast and unreachable through her black orbs. Shivering, Lockwood now felt a fear like no other. She noticed the never-ending doors that seemed to lead up to nowhere, the giant grin upon Caliber's face, and the small entrance now life-size.

"Do you believe me now?" the lean man wore the same, knowing smirk as he drank from the glass vial, and turned to a minuscule size.

Trying hard not to agree, Alice "Hmph!"ed and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, and the maiden was lead out of the room, and into the new world which awaited her.


	4. Adventure Begins

ALICE

Chapter 4: Adventure Begins

Infinite blades of lush, emerald green grasses lined the vast area. No puffy clouds dotted the sky, revealing a blanket of deep azure. All sorts of weird creatures drifted here and there, their shades mixing together like a rainbow. Immense colorful plants, mushrooms, and rocks stood above the two, creating a grand entrance.

Gasping in awe, Alice watched as a tiny sapphire-tinged butterfly landed elegantly upon her finger, and stared at the creature in awe. So, this place _was _real. All her life, Lockwood had hoped to visit such an extraordinary place, but this was just ineffable!

After a while, as Alice played cheerfully with the crystal blue insect, she began to feel extremely hot. Then, Lockwood realized that she was wearing a thick, cream coat, which was unsuitable for this oddly sunny climate. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Alice placed the intricate creature on top of an emerald green leaf, which was quite wide and large. After taking off the winter jacket, she decided to place it by a tall, crimson mushroom, satisfied with no other location.

Surprisingly, when the jet-haired girl strolled back to where her rabbit-eared acquaintance was waiting, the same butterfly fluttered by and perched gracefully upon her finger once again. 'How lovely...' Alice noted, for animals, mostly cats, were the only organisms which hung around her. Lost in thought, Lockwood recalled how cats had stayed by her side, even when she spat the rudest words possible, and how they purred in adoration just by one stroke of their soft fur.

Chuckling to himself, Caliber tapped the maiden on her shoulder, causing her to break from her thoughts, swivel around, and scare the butterfly away. With an annoyed grunt, Alice gave Caliber a look of disapproval, but stopped when she saw his face become completely serious. "Alice, I want you to follow the path," the bunny-eared man pointed ahead, "until you reach the Queen of Hearts' palace." Something glinted in those deep, black eyes that Alice could not comprehend. "Well then, Ciao!~"

"Wait!" the ebony-haired woman's calls were ignored as the rabbit man vanished into thin air, sparks of gold flying about as he left. "Caliber..."

Alice felt more lonely than she had ever been.

Nervously, the woman scanned the area, which was bright and teeming with life. _Maybe I can ask someone for a bit of assistance!_ The tiny girl breathed with relief, and headed forward, following the broad pathways that lead in only one direction.

"Hello? Hello!?" Alice called out for no one in particular, until a loud yell caused her to stop in surprise.

"Will you STOP SHOUTING!?" Alarmed, Alice Lockwood peeked up at a giant, red rose, except it was no ordinary rose. In its core, a female face was engraved, and a furious one at that. So, now flowers could _talk_. For some reason, Alice lost all her shock, for if she was in Wonderland, anything crazy could happen.

"Well, it isn't my fault that I'm stuck in this place." Lockwood replied bluntly, then crossed her arms.

"You better shut your mouth, foolish child!" Another flower spoke up, this one a bright, orange, tiger-lily. Soon, two white daises, a violet, and a larkspur began to join in, all flowers screeching at the raven-haired woman in annoyance.

"Ugh..all these voices are making my head spin..." Alice muttered, her palms rested against her forehead in distress. This was just too much at once—the possibilities of Wonderland were starting to overwhelm the heroine's brain.

"Stop...Stop!"

Alice clamped her hands around her ears, and felt tears welling up. She wanted to go home, where she was safe and sound.

No. There wasn't any way the harsh woman would give into this land, or show her ever increasing fear. She wasn't that type of person. Dusting herself off, Lockwood stepped onto the wide pathway, ignoring the constant jeers and mockery from the plants behind her.

As she strolled down the never-ending road, Alice noticed that all sorts of creatures began to join the walk: chocolate-colored bunnies, a sea turtle, some large frogs, a pig, a dodo, lizards, a brown dog, and many weirdly shaped flies. Gaping in awe, the black-haired girl watched as many animals and insects all headed in one direction—towards the Queen's castle. Lockwood wanted to ask why everyone was headed there, for her mind was lost in confusion.

Before she could call out for anyone's assistance, Alice felt a sudden chill down her neck, and swiveled around in surprise. But all that was behind her were dark trees, slowly rustling in the zephyrs. Gulping, Alice turned back and began to walk, but then heard soft footsteps behind her...as if someone was following her. Hurrying her pace, Lockwood glanced behind her every few seconds, when she noticed a silver knife whiz dangerously by her neck.

With a loud shriek, Alice jumped back and stared at the blade, which was stuck in the rough bark of a tree. '_That was close!' _Lockwood thought as she quickened her pace. Who could be after her? Nevertheless, someone wanted the maiden _dead, _and they would stop at nothing until she lay lifeless. Now at a sprint, Alice shut her eyes and leaped into the gloomy forest, straying from the path that led to the palace.

Everything became a blur as the slate-headed girl dashed through the empty woodland, her heartbeat as loud as a drum. Breathless, Alice felt cold beads of perspiration drip down her neck, and realized the horrid truth: She finally felt true fear.

A loud rustle caused Alice to freeze, then clench her teeth. "Show yourself!" she commanded, her chest tight with apprehension. Lockwood hoped she seemed intimidating, for the maiden felt more vulnerable than a sheep. Swallowing, Alice jerked her head up as she heard a piercing chortle resonate through the darkness. This laugh was nowhere near as empty or icy as Caliber's—it was rich and vibrant, full of mischievousness.

Alice gasped at the sight before her.

* * *

Author's note: I apologize, once again, for not updating in a while. I hoped you enjoyed chapter four!~


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